[烛光生存狂]-波兰TKW和TKS-B实验型超轻型坦克简介

TKW tankette

http://derela.republika.pl/tk.htm

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic.php?f=55&t=147576

From 1931, the Polish Army started to be equipped with tankettes - small turretless reconnaissance tanks TK-3 (TK). Thanks to mounting an armament - a machine gun in a hull, tankettes had low silhouette, making them difficult to spot and hit, and were easier to produce. On the other hand, a major drawback of such weapon mounting was a limited angle of fire. The vehicle had to change its position to fire at side targets, therefore quick engagement of some targets was difficult or impossible. It was especially notable in tankettes used on rails as armoured draisines.

从1931年起,波兰陆军开始装备超轻型坦克—TK3(TK)小型无炮塔侦察坦克.由于机枪安装在车体上, 超轻型坦克外型非常小巧,使得它们很难被察觉和打击.也更容易生产.另一方面,一个主要的缺点是机枪的射击角度变得非常有限.要打击来自侧面的目标只能通过改变车体的位置来实现,而打击快速移动的目标变得很困难或不可能.特别是作为铁轨侦察车的时候这个问题特别的明显.

Trying to find a solution, the Armoured Weapons Research Bureau of the Army Engineer Research Institute (BB Br.Panc. WIBI) in Warsaw designed a tankette with a rotating turret, named TKW ("W" for "wieża" = turret).

为了改善这一情况,位于华沙的陆军工程研究院的装甲武器建造局设计了一种带有旋转炮塔的超轻型坦克,称为TKW("W" for "wieża" = 炮塔).

It realized similar idea, as the British designs of that time, like Carden-Loyd Patrol Tank (an unsuccesful development of the Carden-Loyd tankette). The TKW based upon the TK-3 chassis. Its crew compartment was lower and there was a small turret above the commander, armed with a standard 7.92 mm air-cooled wz.25 Hotchkiss machine gun. Turret side armour was 8 mm, sides were riveted to a frame, it had a hatch on the roof and doors in a rear curved plate. A driver's head was protected with a big box cover, fitted with a reversible tank periscope, invented in Poland by Rudolf Gundlach. The commander had vision slots only in his turret. It was decided to build 6 experimental tanks at first.

此时英国的设计师也进行了相关车型的研制工作,象Carden-Loyd巡逻坦克(一种不是很成功的改型).TKW是在TK-3的基础上完成,装备有一挺标准的wz.25 Hotchkiss空冷7.92 mm机枪.炮塔侧面装甲为8mm,侧面铆接而成,顶部有一个舱门,后部有一个出入口.驾驶员头部有一个盒式装甲提供防护,安装有一个由波兰人Rudolf Gundlach发明的可旋转坦克潜望镜.车长只能通过炮塔上的观察孔进行观察.决定首批生产6辆实验型号.

The prototype TKW was converted from the TK tankette nr. 1164 (of the first series, made of mild iron plates) in the end of 1932 or early 1933. The machine gun was next changed to a water-cooled wz.30 of the same caliber, in a new universal ball mounting with a telescopic sight. Trials in October 1933 revealed turret faults, namely lack of space, bad stability of gun mounting, poor vision, and especially poor ventilation. As a result, the second improved turret was developed in 1934, with a lengthened front part, and a covered ventilation hole on the top, under a hatch. The machine gun was mounted in an universal ball mounting (the wz.25 machine gun was used again, though there are no photos known of the improved TKW with the machine gun fitted and the mounting could be converted to the wz.30 MG).

1932年末或1933年初,TKW原型车从编号1164的TK超轻型坦克(属于首批制造,由软铁制成)上转换而成.机枪变成了同口径的wz.30水冷机枪.和一个观察镜一起安装在一个新的球型基座上,.1933年的测试显示出炮塔的一些缺点.炮塔内空间太小,不能很好的固定住火炮基座.视野太差,特别是缺少通风设备.结果,在1934年又研制了一种改进型炮塔.前部加长.在舱门的下面增加了一个通风孔,机枪被安装在一个球型基座上(再次使用了wz.25机枪,但是没有照片显示改进后的TKW的机枪座是否可以转换成wz.30机枪).

Further field trials in summer 1934 showed, that this design was not succesfull at all. Its right side was overloaded and the crew members could not communicate with each other, while turret rotation and crew observation possibilities were limited (turret could rotate at 306°). In February 1935, the TKW design was abandoned and a production of further 5 prototypes was canceled. It was evident, that a bigger tank was needed to fulfil reconnaissance tasks, which could be fitted with a rotating turret without such problems and carry more adequate armament. In that period, the works upon a new, bigger and more capable reconnaissance tank 4TP started. The TKW prototype was given to the Armoured Weapons Technical Research Bureau (BBT Br.Panc.). In February 1935 it was used for testing new rubber and metal tracks of Stefan Kardaszewicz design, but they were not succesful (during trials it had the older turret again). Later the prototype was broken to parts. Most likely, the newer turret was utilized in the PZInz.130 amphibious tank prototype.

1934年夏天的野外测试显示,这个设计还是不成功,车体的右侧超负荷容易过热,乘员之间无法互相联络.炮塔的旋转和车长的视野非常的有限(炮塔只能旋转306°).1935年2月,TKW的设计在生产了5辆样车后被放弃.很明显,需要一种更大型的坦克来执行侦察任务.能没有任何问题的安装一个旋转炮塔和更合适的武器装备.此时,应该开始了新型的更大更有能力的4TP侦察坦克的研制工作.TKW原型车被交给了装甲武器技术研究局(BBT Br.Panc.)1935年2月,被用于测试Stefan Kardaszewicz设计的新型橡胶和金属履带,但是没有获得成功(在测试期间它还是采用的早前的炮塔).之后原型车被拆除,更可能的是,后来研制的炮塔被用在了PZInz.130两栖坦克原型车上.

TKS-B tankette

Works upon a light artillery tractor C2P prototype, based on the TKS tankette showed, that the TKS steering system is unsuitable for towing guns. Both TK and TKS tankettes made turns by simply braking one track. In 1936, Polish designers decided to add side clutches to the transmission of the tractor, and make rear idler wheels bigger, so they were also last roadwheels. At the same time, the chassis of one TKS tankette was converted this way (it was the tankette nr. 1510, of the first series, made of mild iron plates). The conversion was designated TKS-B (or TK-SB, for "sprzęgła boczne" = 'side clutches').

During trials in summer 1936, an average speed of the TKS-B was 5 km/h higher over the TKS, both on road and off road. It was also easier to steer and consumed less fuel. Its traction performance improved greatly and trials were succesfull, but the production of TKS was closing at that time, and they were not considered modern fighting vehicles anymore. It was estimated, that a conversion would cost as much, as 10,000 złoty (compare prices), therefore a conversion of produced TKS tankettes was considered unworthy. The prototype TKS-B was next converted to a tank destroyer TKS-D.

Special equipment

Basing on the British designs, a tracked two-axle universal trailer for tankettes was produced in Poland as well. According to an organization charts, there should be one trailer per a tankette platoon (two in a company). It was normally used for carrying spare parts by a tankette of a repair patrol. Tankettes could also tow a typical fuel trailer, with three 200l fuel barrels and two 50l oil barrels.

A two-axle, two-part trailer for the RKD long range radio set and its 4-men crew was also developed. It was derived of a horse-drawn radio trailer, differing with pneumatic tyres instead of wooden ones. There are no details in publications about their usage, but most likely they were used until late 1930s only, then replaced with radio cars in armoured units by 1939.

A new, unique usage of tankettes, conceived in Poland, was employing them as armoured draisines - reconnaissance rail vehicles, used in armoured trains. For this purpose, they used special rail runners - frame-shaped carriages. The tankette on a rail runner drove on rails using own tracks. The rail runner had a hydraulic mechanism to lift the tankette and a ramp to unload it. By 1939 there were about 50 rail runners built. Part of TK and TKS tankettes (at least 20) used as armoured draisines were equipped with a short-range radio RKB/C. They differed in havin

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